Teenage girls and the risk of suicide

Posted on 10/10/18 01:15:pm

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The teenage years are an exciting and challenging time of change—changing relationships, bodies, and emotions—all of which can produce a lot of stress and uncertainty. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, midway through the teen years, girls are twice as likely as boys to develop mood disorders that can present as anxiety and depression.

In some cases, depression can be so severe it can lead to self-harm, suicidal thoughts or actual attempts. “Often unbeknownst to families, this pattern has been going on internally for much longer than people are aware,” says Dr. Erik Ulland, medical director of the Nashotah program at Rogers Behavioral Health. ”But typically they’ve been suffering with pretty severe symptoms of depression, struggling with perfectionism, shame and behaviors that are concerning for well over a year. They seem to be stuck in a cycle where they may be hospitalized or had other treatment but don’t seem to be getting better, or they easily relapse into dangerous behaviors.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24 and results in approximately 4,600 lives lost each year.

12 suicide warning signs every parent should know

Feeling like a burden

Being isolated

Increased anxiety

Feeling trapped or in unbearable pain

Increased substance use

Looking for a way to access lethal means

Increased anger or rage

Extreme mood swings

Expressing hopelessness

Sleeping too little or too much

Talking or posting about wanting to die

Making plans for suicide

Mood disorder treatment for girls at Rogers Behavioral Health

The Nashotah Program is a 12-person residential program at Rogers Behavioral Health for girls 13-18 years of age who are struggling with severe depression and self-harm.

Dr. Ulland and his multidisciplinary team use evidence-based dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) to treat girls during their stay at Rogers, focusing on helping them identify destructive behavior patterns, express feelings appropriately, and develop healthy relationship and decision-making skills. The team also works with families to improve healthy communication to reduce the risk of dangerous behaviors and conflict while also improving emotional connection within the family.